Marsh Creek 4.26.14

It dawned a beautiful Saturday morning and I had to get on the water someplace...was not up for a long drive, so I headed up to the Downingtown area and the marina side of Marsh Creek State Park. There were several fisherman and other kayakers on the water, but, Marsh Creek is big enough not to feel too crowded, especially on a blustery, April day. It was odd seeing that not 25 miles away, spring had yet to really have srpung. Most of the foliage was still brown/grey and there was a distinct lack of bird activity. Mind you, the Tree Swallows were fully present with their blue/silver aerobatics. I was unnerved by the amount of people on the water who were not properly dressed. One kayaker was out in a tank top and shorts and not wearing their pfd at all. And when I advised them that they were now mandatory, it was one of the old 'horse collar' or 'Mae West' designs. Yes, it was a sunny day, but, it was blustery and the water was still very cold. Right around 55 degrees farenheit. The refrain of "it doesn't feel so bad to me" echoed across the lake. I was just hoping I wouldn't hear any bad news the next day about someone succumbing to hypothermia and drowning. DRESS FOR THE WATER FOLKS!

Just out for a little sun

I was happy to see the Red Eared Sliders had emerged from their muddy winters sleep and were sunning themselves on all the downed logs that edged the lake. One actually had a peeling shell, something I'd not ever seen before. It was still great to see them, the Turkey Vultures and the Red-tailed Hawk who kept me company on my paddle.

With the wind blowing 15-25 mph, I was very happy to have my GearLab Greenland style, carbon fibre paddle with me. It is virtually effortless to use, and weighs next to nothing. It is a worthy addition to anyone's paddle quiver.

It was also my first day out with the GoPro camera. I actually managed to get it to work and to sync up with it's wireless remote. I shot a few five minute videos, and it was a lot of fun. The images were breathtaking when I got to view them on my Mac, the resolution was shockingly good, and it really felt like I could reach right in. Now to work on my editing and shooting skills.....a five minute video is really long and even for the one who shot it, really boring. I am looking forward to learning more about it and adding some video to this blog as well.